Union formation and the timing of a first birth in Central Uganda: a decrement lifetable analysis

Charles Lwanga, Makerere University
Ishmael Kalule-Sabiti, North-West University, South Africa

The aim of the paper was to use age event survey data to answer the question of whether the timing of a first child differs between women who married after cohabitation, women who married directly and those who were still at cohabiting stage as a form of first union. This paper was based on a study of a micro-survey data collected on the three first union in central Uganda using retrospective methods and analyzed using decrement life-tables. The results showed that whether married directly, following cohabitation, or still in a cohabitating state, the risk of giving birth to a first child within one year was nearly the same. However, marrying directly accelerated the pace of giving birth to a first child. Age at first union significantly influenced the timing of a first birth, especially during the first year of first union with women aged 20 and over exhibiting shorter intervals.